The invention relates to the field of training devices, and in particular to simulators for the display of radar data. The invention is adaptable in that its software can be modified for compatibility with a variety of target generators; and, then when the invention is appropriately instructed, it will interact with the generator to create an accurate and responsive visual display of the data provided by the generator in accordance with settings selected by the user.
Up to now radar display systems have been dedicated to a single application, and designed around the target generator that is being used. That practice has resulted within the training community in the development of many unique systems that are costly and difficult to maintain. As a result, a need has existed for a radar display that is adaptable, reliable and conveniently supportable.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a generic radar display that is adaptable through software changes to achieve compatibility with a plurality of target generators. Another object is to provide a system that may be rendered in embodiments comprising readily available components. Another object is to provide a system with which the user may interact, and that is responsive to the user's inputs. And, another object is to provide a system that is microprocessor based and relatively inexpensive.
Previous patents disclose systems for radar simulation, color mapping, video generators and landmass simulators. U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,716 to John L. Booker discloses a rotating color mapped radar sweep simulator having a rotating cursor plan position indicator radar display on a color mapped computer driven raster scan CRT display that logically divides the pixels of the display into a plurality of wedge shaped regions. The color attributes of the pixels in each region are changed in a systematic fashion in order to simulate the appearance of a standard radar display for radar operator training purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,598 to Richard T. Warner discloses a radar simulator having an oscilloscope with a display screen that produces a luminous movable screen spot, with a scanning means connected to the oscilloscope for causing the spot to be scanned over the screen in a radar transmitter type scanning pattern, a photodetector mounted in front of the screen for detecting light from the spot only when the spot is near the photodetector and for producing an electrical signal when light is detected, and modulation means connected to receive and modulate the signal in simulation of a radar pulse repetition. U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,698 to Paul B. Beckwith et al, discloses a digital radar generator that provides a radar return image for a cockpit display that is generated by selectively accessing terrain data compressed and stored in a digital map data base. U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,084 to Kenneth B. Donovan discloses a landmass simulator for modifying the areal height and areal reflectivity of source data in real time in response to the areal reflectivity of the source.